1 Hour of Ancient Egyptian History and Lore Explained

In the late 13th and early 12th centuries BC, the Eastern Mediterranean world was in turmoil.

Great Bronze Age powers were collapsing, the Hittite Empire had fallen, cities across the Levant were burning, and long-established trade networks were disintegrating.

This upheaval, known as the Late Bronze Age Collapse, created a domino effect of chaos.

Amid this turmoil, waves of displaced peoples roamed in search of new lands and resources.

Among them were the enigmatic Sea Peoples, a confederation of seafaring tribes whose sudden emergence is noted in Egyptian records.

By the early 12th century BC, Egypt had managed to stand while other civilizations faltered.

Pharaoh Ramses III, who reigned from 1186 to 1155 BC, now found his kingdom under severe pressure.

A climactic confrontation between Egypt and the Sea Peoples was on the horizon, with the stability of the entire region hanging in the balance.

This confrontation, known to history as the Battle of the Delta, is the first recorded naval battle in history.

The term Sea Peoples itself is modern, derived from ancient Egyptian references to a coalition of invaders from the sea or from northern countries.

Some names recorded by the Egyptians hint at far-off origins.

For example, some scholars believe that one of the names indicates that one part of this coalition may have been from Sardinia in the western Mediterranean.

Other groups possibly came from much closer by in the Aegean or Anatolia.

Although many theories exist, no definitive evidence pinpoints where each group came from.

What is clear is that by around 1200 BC, various tribes had banded together to both raid and seek new homes in the wealthy lands of the Eastern Mediterranean.

To the Egyptians, the Sea Peoples were a fearsome menace.

They're depicted as well-armed warriors, some wearing intricate helmets, both factors indicating a high degree of sophistication in craftsmanship.

They're depicted as arriving both by land, with wagons carrying families and belongings, and by sea, in open boats.

These invaders weren't simply another army from a rival empire.

They were whole populations on the move, possibly migrants looking for a new homeland rather than mere raiders.

Egyptian accounts describe their onslaught as something akin to the land being struck by a tsunami.

The force of these invading migrants was simply too great for anyone to withstand.

It was against this tsunami that the Pharaoh prepared to make his stand, with the fate of the Egyptian heartland hanging in the balance.

Ramses, aware of the destruction that had befallen his neighbors, understood that an invasion of Egypt could be catastrophic.

He took decisive action and marshaled Egypt's defenses.